Flushed with success: Space toilet working again

William Atkins
Thursday, 05 June 2008 18:51

Science - Space

So, after the space shuttle Discovery arrived, the crew got to work repairing the toilet.

The pump was successfully replaced. Then, the toilet was checked with a series of three tests. And, the repair job seemed to have fixed the ailing commode.

It is being reported that the RSA mission control center in Moscow (Russia) gave the ISS crew a “Go” to resume normal operations of the toilet system. (It is assumed it was a: “Go to Flush.”)

The newly fixed toilet is located in the Russian Zvezda module of the Space Station. It uses a fan-driven suction system to operate. In fact, a humorous article title by The Register stated: “ISS toilet sucks again.”

The Register article went on to say that Kirk Shireman, deputy space station program manager, commented: "It's unfortunate we're talking about toilets, but that really is the life, that's the future of human exploration in space. I don't take it as a really bad thing. It's just something perhaps everyday people can really relate to."

The toilet system collects liquid waste in 20 liter containers, while solid waste is collected in separate micro-perforated bags and stored in an aluminum container. When the containers are full they are transferred to the Russian Progress spacecraft for disposal—they are destroyed, along with the Progress, as the spacecraft re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere.

A new Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) will be part of the yet-to-be installed Node 3 module of the Space Station. Node 3 will be attached to the nadir berthing port of the cylindrical-shaped Unity connecting module (Node 1).

The Node 3 is scheduled to be installed onto ISS in October 2009, as part of the STS-130 mission.

Node 3 will contain life support systems for the crew, including mechanisms to recycle waste water for crew use and to generate oxygen for the crew to breathe.

The WHC will provide an additional space toilet for the crew. The Node 3 is being installed to accommodate an expanded human presence of the Station. The size of the crew onboard the International Space Station will increase from three to six members at about this time.